Robert Milder is founder and Chief Executive of Van de Sant, a circular innovation company from the Netherlands.
The company is specialized in design and manufacturing from comfortable sustainable furniture, with the use of recovered ocean bound plastics, post-consumer textiles and other reused content.
This furniture tells the story on how to stop deforestation, reduce plastic waste and CO2 emission, create local jobs and to become 100% circular.
A desire to stop deforestation and the frustration with plastic pollution prompted Robert to start experimenting with furniture frames made from recovered ocean bound plastic, and post-consumer textiles for fabrics. After looking at strengths, sizes and colors, he and his team came up with a collection of in- and outdoor designer furniture, which was greatly appreciated by the corporate industry, hospitality and events sectors, as well as by individuals.
This year, Robert appeared on BBC’s tv show Dragons Den, where he successfully pitched his company in front of 5 entrepreneurs.
He strongly believes in a circular future for the hospitality industry, where a different mind setting will lead the way towards sustainable solutions.